Tag: Bible

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

There are a lot of good posts out there this week, but let me just share four of them – all related to thinking:

First, Stephen Nichols gives us some helpful questions to ask as we read the Bible to help us think about the passage.  I love the focus on God evident in the questions.

Second, Nichols shares suggestions for those who need to start reading (and thinking) their way through the Bible.

Third, Tim Challies reminds us of the importance of clearly and biblically thinking through the creation/evolution question.  I think I will need to look into the book he discusses.

Finally, Randy Alcorn asks whether the word “evangelical” means anything anymore.  Going beyond mere labels, he calls us to think about the clear teachings of Scripture that many who call themselves evangelical are dismissing.

I hope you enjoy thinking through the posts above.  Even more, I hope you have a great Lord’s Day thinking about the words you sing and the preached Word you hear.

Fill Your Head With Scripture

On By BrianIn Habit of Scripture1 Comment

Many of the last sayings of Jesus on the cross come straight from Scripture, which leads James Montgomery Boice to write:

This means that Jesus was filling his mind and strengthening his spirit not by trying to keep a stiff upper lip or look for a silver lining, as we might say, but by an act of deliberately remembering and consciously clinging to the great prophecies and promises of God.  If Jesus did that, don’t you think you should do it too?  And not only when you come to die.

You need to fill your head with Scripture and think of your life in terms of the promises of Scripture now.  If you do not do it now, how will you ever find strength to do it when you come to die?  You must live by Scripture, committing your spirit into the hands of God day by day if you are to yield your spirit into God’s loving hands trustingly at the last.

For further thoughts on filling your head with Scripture, I encourage you to look at this article about memorizing Scripture.  John Wilson interacts with Joshua Choonmin Kang’s book, Scripture By Heart.  It is a book on my reading list, and Wilson shares one challenge from the book – spend 15 minutes a day memorizing Scripture.  How might our thoughts and indeed our entire lives change if we did this?  Perhaps we could live and die like Jesus….

Creation, Fall, Redemption

On By BrianIn Uncategorized

Last week my family went to Kentucky on vacation.  I planned to blog, but then didn’t find the time.  Oh well.  Anyway, as I thought about our vacation, it seemed to me that it reflected the Biblical paradigm of Creation, Fall, and Redemption.

Creation

In the beginning, God created this world.  I was reminded of this as we started our vacation at the Creation Museum.  The theme continued as we enjoyed various parts of God’s creation – Mammoth Cave, Cumberland Falls, Cumberland Gap, and numerous rock formations around Red River Gorge.  God made a beautiful creation that reflects his own greater beauty.

Near Cumberland Gap

Fall

Adam and Eve sinned against God plunging our world into sin, violence, suffering, and death.  I was reminded of this at the Creation Museum, and then as we toured a Civil War museum.  I was reminded of the Fall as I watched the news during breakfast each morning at the various hotels – whether it was stories about fighting in Libya, or a recent murder, or the perverted shows of popular pop singers.  We have truly made a wreck of our world.

The Serpent tempting Adam and Eve at the Creation Museum

Redemption

Christ came to redeem our fallen world and save a fallen people.  I was reminded of this too as we toured the Creation Museum, and as we listen to the Gospel of Mark on our way home.  God has not left us to perish, but came to save us.  This is good news indeed!

Greek New Testament that speaks of our redemption in Christ

Creation, Fall, Redemption.  This is the Biblical story.  And I saw various shades of it last week as we wandered around Kentucky.  In some following posts, I want to illustrate various Scriptures related to these themes using more pictures from our vacation.

KJV 400th Anniversary

On By BrianIn Uncategorized

The King James Version of the Bible turns 400 this year.  It has had a huge impact on the English language and the English world.  It has also had a large impact on many newer English translations including the New King James Version, the New American Standard Bible, and the English Standard Version.  Want to learn more?  You can sign up to receive a free copy of Christian History magazine’s upcoming issue on the KJV.  I’m looking forward to reading it.  Deadline to reserve your free copy is February 14.

Passions Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

It has been a busy week with little time to write or reflect on anything to write.  But here at the end of the week are some good posts from others for you to consider:

Mark Altrogge reminds us that Christian growth takes time.  Growth isn’t instant, yet it is simple.  We can get caught up in so many details and disciplines, but in the end, Stephen Altrogge reminds us it comes down to one thing.  Certainly one discipline that can help us do that one thing (you really need to follow the link to find out what it is), is to be in the Bible.  Ray Pennoyer gives us a fresh challenge from a recent movie and a one of my heroes of the faith to be in God’s Word.  Don’t let the habits of the “hero” cast you down – most of us don’t have the time he had to devote to such things, but do let his example challenge you to hunger more for the Word.

Meanwhile, over at Crossway we get some excerpt’s of C. J. Mahaney’s new book Don’t Waste Your Sports, addressing the important issues of  humility and the temptation to play for our glory rather than God’s.  While focused on the athlete, the principles can be applied to all of life.

That is probably enough for this week.  Have a blessed Lord’s Day as you gather with God’s people to worship our great God!

Listen

On By BrianIn Book of Luke

During the Transfiguration recorded in Luke 9:28-36, a cloud overshadows them, and a voice says, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”  The Father commands the disciples to listen to Jesus.  We too must listen to Jesus, but how?  He does not walk among us as he did then, so how do we listen to him?

Some might suggest that the words that he spoke while he was here that are recorded in Scripture – the words in red – are his words that we must listen to, but that does not go far enough.  We know that the apostles and prophets wrote the entire Bible as they were led by the Holy Spirit (II Peter 1:20-21).  We also know that the Spirit speaks the words of Jesus (John 16:13-14).  That means that the entire Bible is the words of Jesus.  When we open the Bible and read, Jesus speaks to us.  We must listen.

We must stop and listen.  Peter wakes up to find Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah, and he bgins to chatter on about building three tents.  But is this a time to talk?  Would you interrupt Jesus, Moses, and Elijah?  Wouldn’t you want to hear their conversation?  This is a time to stop all other thoughts, words, and actions, and just listen.

As we gather on Sunday mornings to open the Book which contains the very words of our glorious Savior, this is not a time to get up and wander about, to daydream, to think about lunch or afternoon plans.  This a time to stop and listen.

As we wake up each morning to open the Book to read the very words of Jesus, we must stop all distractions, stop thinking about our plans for the day, and just listen to Jesus Himself speak to us.  Stop and listen.

But we must not just stop and listen, we must also listen and respond.  We cannot listen to Jesus like we often listen to a news announcer – in one ear and out the other as they say.  When God speaks, we must respond.  The Parable of the Sower in the prior chapter reminds us that we must not just hear the Word, but must respond (8:4-15).  Jesus tells us his family are those who “hear the Word of God and do it” (8:21).  We must not just hear the Word; we must do what it says (James 1:22).

So as we gather on Sunday morning to open the Book, do we come planning to not only hear but also respond?  As we open the Book each morning, do we intend to respond?  Do we intend to obey that command, or claim that promise, or believe that truth, or confess that sin, or follow that example?  Do we plan to listen and respond?

Father, you have given us a great gift – the very words of Jesus.  As we open the Book, help us to remember that we are reading the very words of God.  Help us to stop.  Help us to listen.  Help us to respond.  For your glory, we pray.  Amen.

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Last week was a very good and busy week of VBS at our church, so I wasn’t able to blog much.  Let’s start this week with a few recommended posts to visit from around the web related to Three Passion living.

First, we start with God’s passion for us.  Justin Taylor explores how Paul describes God’s grace throughout the book of Ephesians.  His question at the end of his post is important for us to consider: “Do we feel, with Paul, how truly great God’s grace is?”

People are obsessed about all kinds of things in our world, but our passion should only be found in one place as Mark Altrogge reminds us.

If we are going to grow in our passion for God and compassion for people, we need to be in God’s Word.  James MacDonald reminds us of some of the Bible’s vivid pictures of itself – and what they mean for us.

Examples of Grace 12

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

I Samuel continues the theme of grace.

Hannah prays for a son.  God graciously gives her one.  How many times have we prayed, and God has granted our request?  We are unworthy, we constantly fail the Lord, yet he answers our prayers.  This is grace.

Throughout the book, we see God’s gracious deliverance.  The Lord delivers Israel from the Philistines.  The Lord delivers David from Saul.  How many times has God delivered us – from sickness, from trials, from danger?  This is grace.

Nabal offends David.  David prepares to take vengeance.  But God uses Abigail to stop him.  He was about to sin, but God kept him from it.  How many times has God kept us from sinning?  Keeping a temptation from us.  Removing a temptation.  Giving us strength to overcome.  This too is grace.

Let us glory in the wonderful grace of God!

Humble Gratitude

On By BrianIn Book of Luke, Virtue of Humility

A Pharisee invites Jesus to his home.  He treats Jesus rudely – neither giving him water to wash his feet or even giving  a proper greeting.  Then comes this woman.  We know little about her – only that she was a sinner.  She had a reputation – and not a good one.  Somewhere, somehow we must surmise that she had crossed paths with Jesus.  She had heard him speak of repentance and forgiveness.  She had found mercy and love and grace.  And so now she comes.  Risking the ridicule and hostility of those at the Pharisee’s house, she comes.  She begins to weep at Jesus’ feet.  She begins to anoint his feet with ointment.  She begins to wash his dirty feet with her hair, and kiss his feet.  Here is an incredible example of humble gratitude toward God.

Do we remember our past sins?  Can we see our continued failures to follow the Lord?  Are we still amazed at his mercy and love and grace in our lives?

Everything we have talked about this week in past posts – humble submission, humble worship, humble service, and humble giving will quickly become a chore, a duty, a struggle – unless it is motivated by a humble gratitude to God for all that he has done for sinners like us.

What motivates us?  Why do we do what we do?  Are we trying to earn God’s favor?  Earn our way into heaven?  Trying to impress God?  Impress others?  All of this is so much foolishness and will wear us out in the trying.

Jesus died for our sins.  He loves us in spite of our rebellion.  In humble gratitude may we give ourselves to God…like this sinful woman did.

(Luke 7:36-50)

Humble Giving

On By BrianIn Book of Luke, Virtue of Humility1 Comment

We often think of the 12 disciples when we think of those who followed Jesus, but he had many other followers – including many women.  These women not only followed Jesus, but they provided for him and his ministry from their own means.  They give us an example of humble giving to God.

Are we following their example?  Are we providing for the ministry of our local church out of our means?  Not occasional token gifts, but true regular giving to the Lord out of what God has graciously given to us?  Have we discovered the joy of giving?

I know of numerous missionaries who are stranded in our country, unable to go to the missions field because they can’t find the support.  Yet we are the wealthiest country in the world!  This is a huge indictment upon the American church.  Are we serving God with our money or ourselves?  Are we bowing down to the Lord or materialism?

How we need to follow the example of these dear women.  How quickly we could send out these missionaries if all of God’s people regularly and joyfully gave back to God a portion of what he has given to them.  Not a meager portion.  But a generous portion for his work and his glory.  Father, grant that we would humbly give to you.

(Luke 8:1-3)